Birdsong Project - a stoat-free Kepler

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A runner's weekend in Te Anau; clearing vermin traps for the Kepler Challenge Birdsong Project, 11 October 09

Cath and I took advantage of the opportunity to familiarise ourselves with the Kepler track before the event in December and to play a small part in the birdsong project by clearing and resetting traps.

We drove from Dunedin on Saturday and checked in early to the motel, got changed and off to the Control Gates to do the Grunt. The track was in great condition with only a couple of minor soft patches with a little snow on the ground in places in the trees and above the tree line but melting reasonably quickly going by our fly over on Sunday.

Sunday – what a day! We were up early, legs already suspect after yesterday and off to the Events Centre to meet everyone, eight of us in total. Cath and I went with Sinead and Glen out to the Hanger because we were going up to the top.

The others took their car down to Rainbow Reach where they would be picked up after we were dropped off and flown into Iris Burn.

The weather was clear and wonderful, the helicopter ride across the lake and up past Luxmore is definitely the easiest way up that hill; we flew on by, noting the snow on top and landed right on the ridge below Hanging Valley Shelter with the tail hanging out over the edge at the back and the nose of the helicopter almost over the edge at the front – it was amazing. The helicopter took off with us crouched down under it, he kinda lifted off and had this lazy backwards roll down into the valley below. The first trap was right there and we checked that out reloaded it with bait, fresh egg and a piece of meat; then we set off down the track. We quickly worked out that two people per trap was the way to go and Cath and I started to run after a few, but then we got too far ahead so ended up leaving a stick on top of the trap so Sinead and Glen knew we hadn’t missed it.

With the others starting at Iris Burn our job was finished when we got there until we caught up with them a couple of kms before the new shelter at Rocky Point where we had lunch and from there we worked in teams clearing traps. We didn’t get any vermin in ours but the others got 2 stoats and 9 rats.

Once we got to trap 99 a few kms before Moturau our job was done, the ex Te Anau chemist, John Donaldson, turned DOC warden and now retired goes through clearing the traps once a week to Moturau one way and Brod Bay the other. So it was just a walk out from there.

There are a few more hills in there than I remember and it was great to get to Rainbow Reach just after 4.00pm, it’s going to be bloody hard on the day having to go all the way – but then I guess we all know that!
Grant Taylor

September 09 – On the possible verge of a rat explosion... but also exciting news!

Although there is actual data from the Eglinton only there is an expectation that this summer will see rat numbers increase greatly after the beech mast year. DOC have been unable to get into the Milford traps yet this year so data from that area is still to come.

Tracking rates are high enough in the Eglinton that a poison operation has started with bait stations being filled with Pindone in two control areas - Walker Creek and Plato creek areas where rats tracked at 13% and mice at 71% last week. The poison operation will continue over the next few months. Tracking will be done monthly during this operation to monitor results.

Robin alert!
A robin from Pomona Island sanctuary, where South Island Robins have been released, escaped to near Motorau hut on the Kepler recently and was seen with a mate there a couple of week ago. Hopefully they will stay on that bit of track for the walkers to see, and hopefully we can keep the rat numbers low enough to protect them too!

February 09 - Numbers caught increases

You'll see that there's an increase in numbers caught over the last few months. This may be due to a high growth year here in Fiordland. A mild winter last year and wetter weather than usual through summer has led to strong vegetation growth and a 'mast' year - a year in which the predominant beech trees flower. This occurs on average every 5 years although the last one was in 2006. The increase in food allows rats to multiply and in turn stoat numbers increase as they too are able to support larger families. At this time the trapping really comes into its own. Without it there would be no respite for birds who would otherwise suffer hugely from this increase in predator numbers.

August 08 - A note from an admirer!

Hi there,
I thought I would drop you a line to commend the stoat trappers on fantastic success in the Iris Burn! My wife and I tramped the Kepler last week. On our descent into the Iris Burn from the tops, we passed six separate (distinct) areas on the track with clear kiwi prints in the residual snow.

It made our walk very special - probably one of the most joyous moments we have had in the hills. I've attached a photo of one section. We were amazed at the gait length of the kiwi. Well done to all the volunteers, and keep up the fantastic work!!

Kind Regards,
Darren Hooks, PhD, MBChB

Feb 2008 - notes from a trapper's trip

Flew into the Hanging Valley tops by 07:45/Atawhenua helicopter in hoary conditions not rightly shown in the flick. Once in the bush we checked and re-baited the 100 traps, finding one stoat before Iris Burn Hut and one after.

We got out to Rainbow Reach really fast, as in before 6pm, and whilst not a race record, it's far better than my usual 7pm+ (with moreporks and glow worms at this time of year)!

My secret is not Leppin, I had Charlie's Angels with me (watch out for flying rotten eggs)! Plus it was too cold to waste time with lunch and afternoon tea & notice the damage to the track - the worst for 20 years according to Ken Bradley (DOC). These pictures should give an idea of the worst of the damage from the floods, rain was at 30mm an hour for that big event.

"3 deer gulley" and "Stuff Up Creek" flooded downstream of Iris Burn hut and diverted into an unnamed creek bed that caused a lot of what you see. My favourite picture is Andrew Peeler using me as a bridge where Laceration Creek flooded into the Shingle Creek bed.

4 January 2008

The results for December show only 16 stoats and 4 rats caught. Numbers are going down - this is hopefully a sign of declining numbers of rats and stoats overall.

There could be another spike as we get the juveniles coming through, then it should level out for the rest of the year.

6 November 2007

Just 3 stoats in the Iris Burn yesterday on the first 100 traps + waterfall.

Ken Bradley and 4 staff were earthmoving and track grooming between big slip and Rocky point where water has been shaping things - looking sharper now, as is the Big Slip track - faster now I think.

Heartbreak hill is looking far better for runners now than it did all last year.

9 May 2007 - Great Walk for Kiwi

Volunteer stoat trappers on the Kepler track were treated to a special sight this week when they spotted a large kiwi foot print in the mud.

The Kepler Challenge Organising Committee has in partnership with DOC, established a trapping program to protect the kiwi, whio (blue ducks) and many other birds which inhabit the Kepler Track area using a portion of each runner's entry fee.

Volunteers from the Fiordland community, check over 400 traps from the Iris Burn ridge to the Te Anau control structure every month.

"It can be time consuming work. The Iris Burn Valley trap line is 27km so stopping every 200 meters to clear each box of any catches takes a whole day" said John Carter, a trapper for the Kepler Challenge Committee.

"The bait must also be kept fresh, so the hens egg and piece of meat is replaced monthly. It can be fairly unpleasant and sometimes you open up your bag and discover your lunch covered in yolk!" John said, "but seeing a kiwi foot print reminds me why I'm doing it".

This is a track that is easily accessible to all New Zealanders, some runners manage it in under 5 hours but if you plan to stay overnight on the track it is one of the few places on the mainland you can still hope to hear kiwi.
Since the beginning of this year, rat and stoat numbers have dropped considerably through these efforts, despite reports of some trampers setting traps off deliberately.

"A reduction of pests alongside the track will help reduce the decline of kiwi nearby. It concerns me to think that some visitors to Fiordland National Park still do not understand that our birds need active help" said Steve Norris, Chair of the Kepler Challenge Organising Committee. "People would love to see and hear more kiwi in the wild, but introduced predators are a major threat to their survival. By interfering with the trap boxes they are only increasing this threat".

Students from Fiordland College, the Rotary Club of Fiordland and enthused individuals regularly check traps and community support for the Kepler Challenge project has been terrific.

Photo: Kiwi foot print found on Kepler Track, John Carter.

The Kepler Birdsong Project

In 2006 the Kepler Challenge Organising Committee entered into a partnership with DOC to establish and maintain stoat traps around the length of the Kepler Track. Whio/Blue Ducks, Kiwi and many other birds inhabit the area and their survival is greatly increased through these trapping efforts as has been shown in many similar programs throughout New Zealand.

Using a proportion of runner entry fees the Kepler Challenge Organising Committee will maintain the stoat traps it has established around the length of the Kepler track.

What's going to benefit from the trapping?

As New Zealand's native fauna has evolved without any predatory mammals, introduced species such as rats, stoats and cats have had a devastating impact on bird populations. Whio/Blue Ducks, Kiwi and many other birds inhabit the Kepler area and their survival is greatly increased through trapping of these predators. So ultimately you, the runner, will benefit from being able to get off to a better start helped along by a revitalized dawn chorus!

How does it all work?

Traps have been positioned at 200m intervals around the entire Kepler Track which trampers, runners and pests use alike. Inside each box are two Fenn Mark 4 traps baited with a hen's egg and salted rabbit meat. Once a month the traps are checked by the Committee, DOC staff and community volunteers. The number of catches are collated and you can keep up to date with progress here.

Results

The data for the trapping comes in from two sources, the volunteers and DOC - each taking care of their section of the track. Monthly data will be posted here as soon as we have it. For a larger graph click the image below.

Total rat and stoat captures on Kepler track January 2007 till now

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